Pore-Matched Sponge for Microorganisms Pushes Electron Extraction Limit in Microbial Fuel Cells.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are of great potential for wastewater remediation and chemical energy recovery. Nevertheless, limited by inefficient electron transfer between microorganisms and electrode, the remediation capacity and output power density of MFCs are still far away from the demand of practical application. Herein, a pore-matching strategy is reported to develop uniform electroactive biofilms by inoculating microorganisms inside a pore-matched sponge, which is assembled of core-shell polyaniline@carbon nanotube (PANI@CNT). The maximum power density achieved by the PANI@CNT bioanode is 7549.4 ± 27.6 mW m-2 , which is higher than the excellent MFCs with proton exchange membrane reported to date, while the coulombic efficiency also attains a considerable 91.7 ± 1.2%. The PANI@CNT sponge enriches the exoelectrogen Geobacter significantly, and is proved to play the role of conductive pili in direct electron transfer as it down-regulates the gene encoding pilA. This work exemplifies a practicable strategy to develop excellent bioanode to boost electron extraction in MFCs and provides in-depth insights into the enhancement mechanism.

Role of cell rearrangement and related signaling pathways in the dynamic process of tip cell selection.

Angiogenesis is a complex, highly-coordinated and multi-step process of new blood vessel formation from pre-existing blood vessels. When initiated, the sprouting process is spearheaded by the specialized endothelial cells (ECs) known as tip cells, which guide the organization of accompanying stalk cells and determine the function and morphology of the finally-formed blood vessels. Recent studies indicate that the orchestration and coordination of angiogenesis involve dynamic tip cell selection, which is the competitive selection of cells to lead the angiogenic sprouts. Therefore, this review attempt to summarize the underlying mechanisms involved in tip cell specification in a dynamic manner to enable readers to gain a systemic and overall understanding of tip cell formation, involving cooperative interaction of cell rearrangement with Notch and YAP/TAZ signaling. Various mechanical and chemical signaling cues are integrated to ensure the right number of cells at the right place during angiogenesis, thereby precisely orchestrating morphogenic functions that ensure correct patterning of blood vessels. Video Abstract.

Elevated exosome-transferrable lncRNA EPB41L4A-AS1 in CD56bright NK cells is responsible for the impaired NK function in neuroblastoma patients by suppressing cell glycolysis.

NK cells are one of key immune components in neuroblastoma (NB) surveillance and eradication. Glucose metabolism as a major source of fuel for NK activation is exquisitely regulated. Our data revealed a diminished NK activation and a disproportionally augmented CD56bright subset in NB. Further study showed that NK cells in NB presented with an arrested glycolysis accompanied by an elevated expression of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) EPB41L4A-AS1, a known crucial participant in glycolysis regulation, in the CD56bright NK subset. The inhibitory function of lncRNA EPB41L4A-AS1 was recapitulated. Interestingly, our study demonstrated that exosomal lncRNA EPB41L4A-AS1 was transferrable from CD56bright NK to CD56dim NK and was able to quench the glycolysis of target NK. Our data demonstrated that an arrested glycolysis in patient NK cells was associated with an elevated lncRNA in CD56bright NK subset and a cross-talk between heterogeneous NK subsets was achieved by transferring metabolic inhibitory lncRNA through exosomes.

Transition metal-free [3 + 3] annulation of cyclopropanols with ß-enamine esters to assemble nicotinate derivatives.

A metal-free and efficient approach for the synthesis of structurally important nicotinates through 4-HO-TEMPO-mediated [3 + 3] annulation of cyclopropanols with ß-enamine esters is presented. This protocol features high atom efficiency, green waste, simple operation and broad substrate scope. Moreover, the experiments of gram-scale synthesis and recovery of oxidants make this strategy more sustainable and practical.

Embedded Mo/Mn Atomic Regulation for Durable Acidity-Reinforced HZSM-5 Catalyst toward Energy-Efficient Amine Regeneration.

Metal-molecular sieve composites with high acidity are promising solid acid catalysts (SACs) for accelerating sluggish CO2 desorption processes and reducing the energy consumption of CO2 chemisorption systems. However, the production of such SACs through conventional approaches such as loading or ion-exchange methods often leads to uncontrolled and unstable metal distribution on the catalysts, which limits their pore structure regulation and catalytic performance. In this study, we demonstrated a feasible strategy for improving the durability, surface chemical activity, and pore structure of metal-doped HZSM-5 through bimetallic Mo/Mn modification. This strategy involves the immobilization of Mo-O-Mn species confined in an MFI structure by regulating MoO42- anions and Mn2+ cations. The embedded Mn/Mo species of low valence can strongly induce electron transfer and increase the density of compensatory H+ on the MoMn@H catalyst, thereby reducing the CO2 desorption temperature by 8.27 °C and energy consumption by 37% in comparison to a blank. The durability enhancement and activity regulation method used in this study is expected to advance the rational synthesis of metal-molecular sieve composites for energy-efficient CO2 capture using amine regeneration technology.

Evaluation of the effect of 3D-bioprinted gingival fibroblast-encapsulated ADM scaffolds on keratinized gingival augmentation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The keratinized gingiva plays an important role in maintaining healthy periodontal and peri-implant tissue. Acellular dermal matrix (ADM), as a substitute biomaterial, has a porous structure and good biocompatibility. 3D-bioprinting has the potential for tissue engineering because it enables precise loading of cells layer-by-layer. Herein, we bioprinted ADM scaffold encapsulating gingival fibroblasts (GFs) and evaluated its efficacy in keratinized gingiva augmentation in vivo to assess its potential for clinical periodontal tissue regeneration. METHODS: GFs were extracted from the gingiva of beagles and transfected with a green fluorescent protein (GFP). The ADM scaffold (ADM cell-free group) was constructed using ADM, gelatin, and sodium alginate mixed at an appropriate ratio via 3D-bioprinting. The ADM cell scaffold (ADM cell group) was established by adding extra GFs in the same manner. Six beagles were divided into blank control, ADM cell-free, and ADM cell groups; and implant surgery was performed. The keratinized gingiva was clinically and histologically evaluated at baseline and after 2 months. RESULTS: GFs transfected with GFPs expressed green fluorescence and were present in new tissue in the ADM cell group and not observed in the ADM cell-free group. At 2 months after surgery, the keratinized gingival augmentation in the ADM cell group was significantly more than that in the ADM cell-free group. Attached gingival augmentation was also observed more in the ADM cell group than that in the ADM cell-free group. Histological staining showed that the tissue in the ADM cell group displayed a more integrated structure and higher expression of COL I, COL III, and VEGF-A than those in the ADM cell-free group. CONCLUSION: 3D-bioprinted GF-encapsulated ADM scaffolds increased the amount of keratinized gingiva in vivo, suggesting that 3D-bioprinting has great potential for oral soft tissue regeneration.

Nectin2 influences cell apoptosis by regulating ANXA2 expression in neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a pediatric cancer of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system and represents the most frequent solid malignancy in infants. Nectin2 belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily and has been shown to play a role in tumorigenesis. In the current study, we demonstrate that serum Nectin2 level is increased in NB patients compared with that in healthy controls and Nectin2 level is correlated with neuroblastoma international neuroblastoma staging system (INSS) classification. There is a positive correlation between Nectin2 level and shorter overall survival in NB patients. Knockdown of Nectin2 reduces the migration of SH-SY5Y and SK-N-BE2 cells and induces their apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. RNA-seq analysis demonstrates that Nectin2 knockdown affects the expressions of 258 genes, including 240 that are upregulated and 18 that are downregulated compared with negative controls. qRT-PCR and western blot analysis confirm that ANXA2 expression is decreased in Nectin2-knockdown SH-SY5Y cells, consistent with the RNA-seq results. ANXA2 overexpression rescues the percentage of apoptotic NB cells induced by Nectin2 knockdown and compensates for the impact of Nectin2 knockdown on cleaved caspase3 and bax expressions. In addition, western blot analysis results show that ANXA2 overexpression rescues the effect of Nectin2 knockdown on MMP2 and MMP9 expressions. The current data highlight the importance of Nectin2 in NB progression and the potential of Nectin2 as a novel candidate target for gene therapy.

Fire Detection in Ship Engine Rooms Based on Deep Learning.

Ship fires are one of the main factors that endanger the safety of ships; because the ship is far away from land, the fire can be difficult to extinguish and could often cause huge losses. The engine room has many pieces of equipment and is the principal place of fire; however, due to its complex internal environment, it can bring many difficulties to the task of fire detection. The traditional detection methods have their own limitations, but fire detection using deep learning technology has the characteristics of high detection speed and accuracy. In this paper, we improve the YOLOv7-tiny model to enhance its detection performance. Firstly, partial convolution (PConv) and coordinate attention (CA) mechanisms are introduced into the model to improve its detection speed and feature extraction ability. Then, SIoU is used as a loss function to accelerate the model's convergence and improve accuracy. Finally, the experimental results on the dataset of the ship engine room fire made by us shows that the mAP@0.5 of the improved model is increased by 2.6%, and the speed is increased by 10 fps, which can meet the needs of engine room fire detection.

Effects of empowerment education on the self-management and self-efficacy of liver transplant patients: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing survival rates, liver transplant patients experience numerous postoperative complications and encounter significant challenges in long-term self-management. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of empowerment education in enhancing self-management skills and self-efficacy among liver transplant recipients. METHODS: A randomized, single-blind, single-center trial was conducted in China between August 2019 and September 2020, involving liver transplant recipients. The intervention group received 12 weeks of empowerment education, while the control group received 12 weeks of routine education. .The study assessed the patients' self-management and self-efficacy using the Liver Transplant Recipient Self-Management Questionnaire and the Self-efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 1, 3, and 6 months after the intervention. RESULTS: Eighty-four patients were initially randomized to either the intervention group (n1 = 42) or the routine education group (n2 = 42). Twelve patients were excluded from the analysis due to loss of follow-up or discontinuation of the intervention, leaving 72 patients (n1 = 35, n2 = 37) for the final analysis. The scores for exercise and lifestyle management were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group at 1, 3, and 6 months after the intervention (t = 3.047, 5.875, 8.356, and t = 5.759, 4.681, 11.759, respectively; P < 0.05). At 3 and 6 months after the intervention, the scores for cognitive symptom management, communication with physicians, and self-efficacy were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (t = 5.609, 6.416, and t = 5.576, 11.601, and t = 6.867, 15.071, respectively; P < 0.001). Within the intervention group, self-management scores increased significantly over time, while within the control group, the scores for communication with physicians, lifestyle, and self-efficacy showed a significant decline from 3 to 6 months after routine health education. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that empowerment education is an effective means of improving the self-management and self-efficacy of liver transplant patients, with better outcomes compared to routine health education. These findings have important implications for nursing practice and provide valuable guidance for clinical education of liver transplant patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2200061561.

A systematic review of outcomes in COVID-19 patients treated with western medicine in combination with traditional Chinese medicine versus western medicine alone.

BACKGROUND: Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in late 2019, it has evolved into a global pandemic that has become a substantial public health concern. COVID-19 is still causing a large number of deaths in several countries around the world because of the lack of effective treatment. AIM: To systematically compare the outcomes of COVID-19 patients treated with integrated Chinese with western (ICW) medicine versus western medicine (WM) alone by pooling the data of published literature, and to determine if ICW treatment of COVID-19 patients has better clinical outcomes. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), China Clinical Trial Registry, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang databases using keywords related to COVID-19, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and treatment effect. The search deadline was until 10 February 2021. All randomised controlled (RC) and non-randomised controlled (NRC) clinical trials of the ICW or WM treatment of COVID-19 patients were included. We analysed the effective rate, cure rate, exacerbation rate, turning negative rate of viral nucleic acid, remission rate and remission time of symptoms such as fever, cough, feebleness and chest computed tomography (CT) and the number of white blood cells (WBCs) and lymphocytes (LYM) of the COVID-19 patients. For qualitative and quantitative data, the ratio risk (RR) and weighted mean difference (WMD) were used as the indexes of the statistical analysis, respectively. RevMan 5.4 was used to perform meta-analyses and forest plots with the fixed-effects and random-effects models. Cochrane risk of bias tool (RoB 2.0) was used to assess the risk of bias in the included RC trials, whereas risk of bias in non-randomised studies of interventions was used to assess the risk of bias in NRC trials. RESULTS: This research includes 16 studies with 1645 valid confirmed COVID-19 patients, among which 895 patients of the experimental group received ICW treatment whereas 750 patients of the control group received WM treatment. The outcomes were assessed in three aspects, that is, overall indicator, symptoms indicator and blood indicator, respectively, and the results showed that the ICW group had better treatment outcomes compared with the WM. Among the overall indicators, the ICW group displayed a higher effective rate (RR = 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16-1.33), clinical cure rate (RR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.03-1.56) and lower exacerbation rate (RR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.25-0.52), but no statistical difference was observed in the turning negative rate of viral nucleic acid (RR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.78-1.85). Among the symptom indicators, the ICW group had a higher fever remission rate (RR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.09-1.42), less fever remission time (WMD = -1.49, 95% CI: -1.85 to -1.12), a higher cough remission rate (RR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.10-1.73) and a feebleness remission rate (RR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.18-1.77), less cough remission time (WMD = -1.61, 95% CI: -2.35 to -0.87) and feebleness remission time (WMD = -1.50, 95% CI: -2.38 to -0.61) and better improvement in chest CT (RR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.11-1.28). For blood indicator, the number of WBCs in the blood of patients of ICW group rebounded significantly (WMD = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.16-0.54), and the recovery of LYM in the blood was more obvious (WMD = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.06-0.40). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that the outcomes in COVID-19 patients treated by the ICW is better than those treated by the WM treatment alone, suggesting that WM and TCM can be complementary in the treatment of COVID-19.

MOF-Derived Robust and Synergetic Acid Sites Inducing C-N Bond Disruption for Energy-Efficient CO2 Desorption.

Amine-based scrubbing technique is recognized as a promising method of capturing CO2 to alleviate climate change. However, the less stability and poor acidity of solid acid catalysts (SACs) limit their potential to further improve amine regeneration activity and reduce the energy penalty. To address these challenges, here, we introduce two-dimensional (2D) cobalt-nitrogen-doped carbon nanoflakes (Co-N-C NSs) driven by a layered metal-organic framework that work as SACs. The designed 2D Co-N-C SACs can exhibit promising stability, superhydrophilic surface, and acidity. Such 2D structure also contains well-confined Co-N4 Lewis acid sites and -OH Brønsted acid sites to have a synergetic effect on C-N bond disruption and significantly increase CO2 desorption rate by 281% and reduce the reaction temperatures to 88 °C, minimizing water evaporation by 20.3% and subsequent regeneration energy penalty by 71.7% compared to the noncatalysis.

A Novel Dual-Stage Phase Separation Process for CO2 Absorption into a Biphasic Solvent with Low Energy Penalty.

An amine-based biphasic solvent is promising to cut down the energy penalty of CO2 capture. However, the high viscosity of the CO2-enriched solvent retards its industrial application. This work proposed a novel dual-stage phase separation process using a triethylenetetramine and 2-(diethylamino)ethanol blend as a biphasic solvent, which separates a certain proportion of CO2-enriched phase during CO2 absorption to reduce its viscosity. Experimental results showed that the proposed dual-stage phase separation process improved the phase separation behavior and effectively enhanced the absorption rate by 49% at 50 °C, when 50 vol % CO2-enriched phase was separated at 0.3 mol mol-1. Kinetic analysis showed that the absorption rate was mainly controlled by liquid-side mass transfer. The regeneration heat of the dual-stage phase separation process cut down the energy penalty by 33% compared with the monoethanolamine-based process. Compared with the conventional biphasic solvent-based process, the heat duty was further declined by 8%. The 1H nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed that the dual-stage phase separation process could effectively control the generation of absorption products and intensify the interphase migration of tertiary amines.

TiO2 Coating Strategy for Robust Catalysis of the Metal-Organic Framework toward Energy-Efficient CO2 Capture.

High energy duty restricts the application of amine-based absorption in CO2 capture and limits the achievement of carbon neutrality. Although regenerating the amine solvent with solid acid catalysts can increase energy efficiency, inactivation of the catalyst must be addressed. Here, we report a robust metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived hybrid solid acid catalyst (SO42-/ZIF-67-C@TiO2) with improved acidity for promoting amine regeneration. The TiO2 coating effectively prevented the active components stripping from the surface of the catalyst, thus prolonging its lifespan. The well-protected Co-Nx sites and protonated groups introduced onto the TiO2 surface increased the amount and rate of CO2 desorption by more than 64.5 and 153%, respectively. Consequently, the energy consumption decreased by approximately 36%. The catalyzed N-C bond rupture and proton transfer mechanisms are proposed. This work provides an effective protection strategy for robust acid catalysts, thus advancing the CO2 capture with less energy duty.

Mechanisms of Active Substances in a Dielectric Barrier Discharge Reactor: Species Determination, Interaction Analysis, and Contribution to Chlorobenzene Removal.

Several typical active substances (•NO, •NO2, H2O2, O3, •OH, and O2-•), directly or indirectly play dominant roles during dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reaction. This study measured these active substances and removed them by using radical scavengers, such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, carboxy-PTIO (c-PTIO), tert-butanol (TBA), and MnO2 in different reaction atmospheres (air, N2, and O2). The mechanism for chlorobenzene (CB) removal by plasma in air atmosphere was also investigated. The production of O═NOO-• generated by •NO took around 75% of the total production of O═NOO-•. Removing •NO increased the O3 amount by about 80% likely because of the mutual inhibition between O3 and reactive nitrogen species in or out of the discharge area. The quantitative comparison of •OH and H2O2 revealed that the formation of •OH was 3.06-4.65 times that of H2O2 in these reaction atmospheres. Calculation results showed that approximately 1.61% of H2O was used for O3 generation. Ionization patterns affected the form of solid deposits during the removal of CB in N2 and O2 atmospheres caused by Penning ionization and thermal radiation tendencies, respectively. Correlation analysis results suggested the macroscopic synergistic or inhibitory effects happened among these active substances. A zero-dimensional reaction kinetics model was adopted to analyze the reactions during the formation of active substances in DBD, and the results showed good consistency with experiments. The interactions of each active substance were clarified. Finally, a response surface method model was developed to predict CB removal by the DBD plasma process. Stepwise regression analysis results showed that CB removal was affected by the contents of different active substances in air, N2 atmosphere, and O2 atmosphere, respectively: O2-•, •OH, and O3; H2O2, O═NOO-•, and O3; •OH and O3.

Biological features and clinical outcome in infant neuroblastoma: a multicenter experience in Beijing.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor in childhood, with 37% of patients diagnosed during infancy. This study is aimed at evaluating the survival outcome in infants diagnosed with neuroblastoma. This was a retrospective cohort study including patients under the age of 12 months with neuroblastoma from four tertiary referral centers in Beijing, China (Beijing Children's Hospital, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Peking University First Hospital, and Capital Institute of Pediatrics). Two hundred and forty-seven infants with neuroblastoma were included (male = 132 and female = 115). 91.1% (n = 225) patients were classified as having low-risk or intermediate-risk disease and 8.9% (n = 22) as having high-risk disease. The most common metastatic site is distant lymph node (n=89, 36.0%), followed by liver (n=57, 23.1%), bone (n=42, 17.0%), bone marrow (n=37, 15.0%), soft tissue (n=25, 10%), and central nervous system (n=4, 1.6%). MYCN amplification was present in 9.9% of tumor samples, chromosome 1p or 11q aberration in 14%. Treatment involved surgery alone in 9.7% of patients (n=24, all with low-risk disease), surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy in 50.2% (n=124), neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery in 40.1% (n=97), and chemotherapy alone in 0.8% (n=2). 4.9% (n=12) patients died, and the major cause of death is disease progression. Three-year event-free and overall survival were 91.6%±2.1% and 97.4%±1.1%, respectively, in patients with low- or intermediate-risk disease, and 58.7%±11.5% and 63.6%±11.2%, respectively, in those with high-risk disease.Conclusions: Infants with neuroblastoma achieve a reasonable clinical outcome when treated with surgery with or without chemotherapy using a risk-stratified approach in China. Such information will facilitate counseling, therapeutic decision-making, and development of adapted standard-of-care guidelines for future patients in the country. What is Known: • NB is a disease of infancy; 37% of patients are diagnosed as infants. • Most children younger than 12 months of age have a good prognosis even in the presence of metastatic disease. What is New: • Infants with neuroblastoma achieve reasonable clinical outcome when treated with surgery with or without chemotherapy using a risk-stratified approach in China. • CNS metastasis in infants with neuroblastoma is very rare at diagnosis and had a worse prognosis than those without metastasis.

Serum Progranulin As a Risk Predictor in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND Although progranulin was recently proposed as an adipokine that may be involved in glucose metabolic and inflammatory diseases, the role of serum progranulin in cardiovascular disease is elusive and remains disputed. The aim of our research was to determine the concentration of serum progranulin in Chinese patients with cardiovascular disease, notably in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and its relationship to other cardiometabolic risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS This prospective observational study included 342 Chinese AMI patients and 255 healthy control subjects. Serum progranulin concentrations and various cardiometabolic risk factor levels were investigated. We assessed the relationship between progranulin and other cardiometabolic risk factors. Logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate risk factors in patients with AMI. RESULTS Progranulin levels were obviously elevated in AMI patients compared to control subjects (P=0.0001). Correlation analysis showed that progranulin levels were positively associated with coronary artery disease severity (r=0.380, P=0.0001), glucose (r=0.195, P=0.015), and myeloperoxidase (r=0.198, P=0.014). In logistic regression analysis, serum progranulin (Exp(B)=1.104, 95% CI=1.043-1.168, P=0.001), myeloperoxidase (Exp(B)=1.006, 95% CI=1.003-1.008, P=0.0001), and uric acid (Exp(B)=1.020, 95% CI=1.009-1.032, P=0.0001) were independent risk factors in AMI patients. CONCLUSIONS Patients with AMI had significantly higher serum progranulin concentrations than control subjects. This study suggests that serum progranulin is an independent risk predictor in Chinese patients with AMI.

Rice OsWRKY50 Mediates ABA-Dependent Seed Germination and Seedling Growth, and ABA-Independent Salt Stress Tolerance.

Plant WRKY transcription factors play crucial roles in plant growth and development, as well as plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, we identified and characterized a WRKY transcription factor in rice, OsWRKY50. OsWRKY50 functions as a transcriptional repressor in the nucleus. The transcription of OsWRKY50 was repressed under salt stress conditions, but activated after abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. OsWRKY50-overexpression (OsWRKY50-OX) plants displayed increased tolerance to salt stress compared to wild type and control plants. The expression of OsLEA3, OsRAB21, OsHKT1;5, and OsP5CS1 in OsWRKY50-OX were much higher than wild type and control plants under salt stress. Furthermore, OsWRKY50-OX displayed hyposensitivity to ABA-regulated seed germination and seedling establishment. The protoplast-based transient expression system and yeast hybrid assay demonstrated that OsWRKY50 directly binds to the promoter of OsNCED5, and thus further inhibits its transcription. Taken together, our results demonstrate that rice transcription repressor OsWRKY50 mediates ABA-dependent seed germination and seedling growth and enhances salt stress tolerance via an ABA-independent pathway.

Selenium uptake and simultaneous catalysis of sulfite oxidation in ammonia-based desulfurization.

Accelerating the (NH4)2SO3 oxidation gives rise to the reclaiming of byproduct, while there are secondary environmental risks from reduction of the coexisted selenium species by sulfite. In this study, a bi-functional Co-SBA-15-SH, were synthesized through Co impregnation and sulfhydryl (-SH) decoration, which can simultaneously uptake Se and accelerate sulfite oxidation efficiently. Meanwhile, the adsorption kinetics and migration mechanism of Se species were revealed through characterization and density functional calculations, with maximum adsorption capacity of 223 mg/g. The inhibition of Se0 re-emission and poisonous effect of Se on sulfite oxidation was also investigated. Using the findings of this study, the ammonia desulfurization can be improved by enabling purification of the byproduct and lowering the toxicity of effluent by removing toxic pollutants.

Dynamic Activation of Adsorbed Intermediates via Axial Traction for the Promoted Electrochemical CO2 Reduction.

Regulating the local environment and structure of metal center coordinated by nitrogen ligands (M-N4 ) to accelerate overall reaction dynamics of the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) has attracted extensive attention. Herein, we develop an axial traction strategy to optimize the electronic structure of the M-N4 moiety and construct atomically dispersed nickel sites coordinated with four nitrogen atoms and one axial oxygen atom, which are embedded within the carbon matrix (Ni-N4 -O/C). The Ni-N4 -O/C electrocatalyst exhibited excellent CO2 RR performance with a maximum CO Faradic efficiency (FE) close to 100 % at -0.9 V. The CO FE could be maintained above 90 % in a wide range of potential window from -0.5 to -1.1 V. The superior CO2 RR activity is due to the Ni-N4 -O active moiety composed of a Ni-N4 site with an additional oxygen atom that induces an axial traction effect.

One-Step Synthesized SO42-/ZrO2-HZSM-5 Solid Acid Catalyst for Carbamate Decomposition in CO2 Capture.

Amine-based CO2 capture technology requires high-energy consumption because the desorption temperature required for carbamate breakdown during absorbent regeneration is higher than 110 °C. In this study, we report a stable solid acid catalyst, namely, SO42-/ZrO2-HZSM-5 (SZ@H), which has improved Lewis acid sites (LASs) and Bronsted acid sites (BASs). The improved LASs and BASs enabled the CO2 desorption temperature to be decreased to less than 98 °C. The BASs and LASs of SZ@H preferred to donate or accept protons; thus, the amount and rate of CO2 desorption from spent monoethanolamine were more than 40 and 37% higher, respectively, when using SZ@H than when not using any catalyst. Consequently, the energy consumption was reduced by approximately 31%. A catalyzed proton-transfer mechanism is proposed for SZ@H-catalyzed CO2 regeneration through experimental characterization and theoretical calculations. The results reveal the role of proton transfer during CO2 desorption, which enables the feasibility of catalysts for CO2 capture in industrial applications.